Lucky Bastard
by McRaider
Summary: Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura and Sulu are visiting after a diplomatic meeting with the indigenous people, when Kirk has a surprising allergic reaction.


Lucky Bastard

McRaider

Summary: Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura and Sulu are visiting after a diplomatic meeting with the indigenous people, when Kirk has a surprising allergic reaction.

Author's Note: My sympathies to all people like me who have these allergies and have unexpected reactions.

Rated: PG

Everything was going amazingly well, which was rare for the crew of the USS Enterprise. Five of the senior staff members now sat around a large banquet table laughing with various members of the Lithor community, Kirk was seated between the Highest Elder and McCoy, deeply engaged in a conversation that switched between English and Lithor on occasion when Kirk recalled a word from his xenolinguistics classes. Spock and Uhura were seated a couple rows down, talking with members of the council on ways to better their society. Meanwhile down at the end of the table Sulu sat with a couple women he'd met that were highly interested in his combat training.

Occasionally children of the council would run by giggling, causing McCoy to grin as they rushed by, filling the room with laugher. Another new course had just been placed in front of them. It appeared to be some sort of chicken like food with vegetables from the planet. Despite Kirk's aversion to all green foods, he didn't hesitate to dig in as he looked over at the Elder, "The Federation has always been fond of the people on this planet which is one of the reasons we were very much looking forward to coming. We certainly hope to continue our alliance." He smiled, swallowing around the odd tickle in the back of his throat that had formed only seconds earlier. Pushing through it he took a swig of the wine, hoping it would dampen the odd feeling.

"Of course, Captain, it has been an utmost pleasure to greet your people, I can certainly understand why they call you the best in the fleet, it is rare to meet such young crewmembers who have such high skills. But enough about business, my boy, tell us about your crew!"

Kirk grinned as he looked over at McCoy, he couldn't help but notice however that the tickle in the back of his throat had stepped up a notch and was now becoming an aggravation. He tilted his head slightly as if trying to stretch it away, and he coughed slightly. "You all right?" McCoy asked quietly beside him.

"Fine, something went down the wrong way," he lied, not wanting to cause worry to his best friend.

McCoy didn't believe Jim for a second, but for now he'd let it rest. "What would you like to know?" McCoy decided to continue the conversation, understanding that if it was something to truly worry about, Jim would eventually speak up.

The tickle had rapidly changed from a tiny annoyance to a full blown issue, within seconds Kirk was recognizing the symptoms, scratchy throat, and sudden onset of breathing issues, his tongue felt heavy and swollen in the cotton like mouth. He felt cold and hot all over. He coughed again, this time realizing a familiar wheezing had set into his lungs as well.

"Jim?"

"'Ones," he grimaced as he tried to stand, which was a terrible idea as his world began to tilt.

McCoy and Spock were up within seconds before their Captain hit the floor. McCoy gripped Kirk as they both landed on the ground, "Christ sakes, can't we ever have a quiet meal," he muttered as he grabbed a hypo from his nearby med-kit and jabbed it into the nearly unresponsive Jim's neck. "Jim?" he called as he took his pulse, and listened to the raspy breathing.

"What is happening?" Spock questioned.

"He's having a severe allergic reaction, it's no fault of anyone, he's allergic to nearly everything," he tapped his conn, "McCoy to Enterprise, two to beam up, I need a medical unit to meet us in the transport room, the Captain is going into anaphylactic shock!" Seconds later the light whirled around the two men and they were gone. Leaving everyone else in the room looking absolutely shocked.

"Commander Spock?"

Spock turned to the Elder, his eyes grim despite his usual ability to withhold emotions. "I fear I am as unsure as you at this moment. Please do not worry yourself however, about any relations. From what the doctor said, this was an occurrence that could have taken place anywhere." He glanced over at Uhura who looked terrified. "I believe it would be best for now for us to return to the Enterprise, your Highness if it pleases you, I shall return as soon I know more about the situation."

The Elder nodded, "Absolutely, please do not hesitate in returning as soon as everything is well. I do not wish to cause any of you harm."

"We know and I assure as soon as the Captain is able he will be happy to tell you that himself." He paused and then hit his own conn, "Enterprise, three to beam up."

A moment later they stood in the transport room surrounded by a cacophony as McCoy was desperately working to keep Kirk breathing as they raced out of the room. "I haven't seen a reaction from his this bad since school!" he called.

Spock, Uhura and Sulu followed them, each concerned for their beloved Captain. "Sulu, please return to the bridge, I will be there as soon as we have more information."

"Yes, Commander."

They got Kirk onto the biobed, "Nurse Chapel, see if you can intubate him now, I've pumped more hypo meds into him, it's amazing he's not reacting to those."

"Will there be a secondary reaction?" Chapel questioned, assuming that the Captain was one of the few people in the world who reacted with anaphylaxis then reacted later with a complete revolt of the body.

"Yes," McCoy offered quietly. "I want you to start an IV drip now, I know it's primitive but he's going to appreciate it later."

Kirk's vitals' were beginning to calm down, they weren't anywhere near what McCoy wanted them to be, but he was just thankful that they'd gotten Jim's breathing under control with the intubation. As soon as the swelling went down, which would begin shortly, he could remove it and let Jim breathe on his own.

"Doctor?" Spock's deep voice alerted McCoy to their presence as he looked down at the peaceful Captain. It was peaceful now; it probably wouldn't be for much longer. He turned and looked over at his friends.

"I've managed to get the reaction under control, though with the help of a lot of powerful medications, some of which will cause their own reaction." He explained.

"What happened?" Uhura questioned.

McCoy took a seat near Jim's bed and sighed, "From what I can tell he had an allergic reaction to some food or herb in his food, causing anayphalatic shock. He's was barely breathing on his own, to help him for now until the swelling dissipates, we've intubated him, we've also set up an IV, which is old fashioned but will help keep him hydrated if and when he has further reactions."

"I am not familiar with this, has he not reacted already?"

"Yes, that was the initial reaction. There is a small population of humans, smaller than it used to be, but still a portion of the population who upon anaphylactic shock suffer ill effects later, such as dizziness, vomiting and depending on some situations trouble controlling some other bodily functions. Jim is one of the few that when he reacts he often reacts violently. There have been a few cases like this, where he reacted initially then hours later he started vomiting. It wasn't till our second year at the academy that we realized why that was."

"He was suffocating?" Uhura whispered she'd never seen anything like that.

"Yes, the lining in his throat was swelling due to the allergy and mucus was building up in his lungs causing the coughing. It's the danger of allergies unfortunately."

"What else is he allergic to?" Spock questioned.

McCoy's eyebrows shot up, "You want the full list?"

"There are that many?"

"He's allergic to nearly every medication out there, which is why we're completely stocked up on some of the more primitive methods. He's allergic to most types of tree nuts; he has minor problems with milk, and quite clearly whatever was on that chicken."

"I apologize for my inability to understand, Doctor, but is he not at a greater risk out here than he would be back on Earth?"

McCoy looked over at Uhura who sighed; they both had the same fear, that Spock would somehow force Kirk to be grounded. "Yes, but we all are. None of us can know what we may or may not be affected by. Despite his allergies, Starfleet has deemed him healthy for all activity. And despite this current reaction, he hasn't had any issues for nearly two years."

There was a grown and coughing from Kirk, alerting Bones to his friend's waking up. "Do you mind if I debrief you later?" He questioned, not wanting them to see what was likely going to be the last of Kirk's pride today go flying into warp speed.

"Of course." The two turned and left, leaving the two men alone, a couple nurses were milling around the medical bay.

"Jim, I need you to calm down and cough on three," he explained, his hand on the Captain's shoulder. Two blue eyes stared up at him, oddly watery. "1…2…3" the hack was mighty as Bones pulled the tube out, a moment later he was holding a tray under Kirk's mouth as he gagged and vomited. Tears trailing down his cheeks as he gripped his stomach. After a few more moments of that, Kirk laid back against the bed, trembling from head to toe. McCoy handed off the tray and grabbed a blanket, wrapping it around his friend. "You're okay."

"Don't feel okay," Kirk's voice was gruff from the previous swelling and the vomiting. "This sucks."

Nodding, McCoy gently rubbed Jim's temples. "I've got you on an IV drip already, how do you feel?"

"Fuzzy," he grunted as he tried to rollover, but only ended up on his side curled up. He looked up at Kirk, "I think I'm gonna throw up again," he whispered. He groaned, but a moment later he was correct.

Bones held his friend for the next hour as Jim's body divested itself of every toxin that had caused the initial reaction. By the time an hour and a half had passed, he'd broken down and given Jim a sedative so the man could get some sleep and rehydrate.

"How is he?" Nurse Chapel questioned as she stepped over and looked at the Captain. His face was almost a gray pale and he looked completely exhausted. McCoy was wiping Kirk's face with a damp cloth.

"Miserable," Kirk mumbled from where his face was pressed against the pillow.

She smirked as McCoy pressed a finger to his lip, "He's a lucky bastard that's what he is. Lucky we were there to take care of him in the first place," McCoy waited, watching as all of Jim's monitors registered that he had indeed fallen asleep. "He'll be exhausted and sore for a day or so. But I imagine within a day or two we'll have our Captain back to normal."

Christine smiled, "When are you going to stop being such a man and admit you're crazy in love with him?"

McCoy chuckled as he ran a hand through Jim's sweat soaked hair. "When he realizes that he's a good man."

"I'm going to go get dinner, you want something?"

Wrinkling his nose slightly, McCoy began to say no; until she gave him a look that clearly said no wasn't the correct answer. "Get out of here, you evil woman!" He joked, watching her leave.

He returned his attention to Jim, gently caressing his temple and hair. "Love Bones," another murmur came from Jim's nearly prone form.

Smiling warmly, he pressed a light kiss to his lover's forehead, neither one quite willing to tell anyone else about what they had. It had been nearly six months and neither man was ready to share information beyond the bedroom. "Love you too, Jim."

He'd watch over his Captain tonight, because by tomorrow he'd be terrorizing the medical bay. But that was okay, McCoy wouldn't have his Captain any other way.


End file.
